Hi all! We're cruising on Carnival Ecstasy to Western Carribean on 9/18/06, and I have some questions!

(been all over the forums today, check my kids questions on the family forum and my newbie questions on the 1st timers forum )

main question -- tender port -- someone explain this to me, please! How do we get from the big ship to the little boat?? And back on the big ship again??? I'm picturing ladders dangling down the side of the ship, please tell me that I"m wrong! (and then laugh to yourselves at the silly newbie )

how hard is it to get on/off the tender boat with kids, one a toddler who'll be in a baby sling?? (the other 2 are ages 8 & 5)

how severly is this going to limit our time on Cozumel -- I read elsewhere that some were cut to 4 hrs on the island because of tender schedules; is this pretty accurate??

can we all fit in the taxi (5 of us, 1 a lap child)?? and are we nuts to go off on our own for our first cruise? we're planning either a cab to mr sanchos or to a spot on the east side of the island (been researching cozumelmycozumel.com for ideas). Tips on doing this???

main question -- tender port -- someone explain this to me, please! How do we get from the big ship to the little boat?? And back on the big ship again??? I'm picturing ladders dangling down the side of the ship, please tell me that I"m wrong!

No, you're not wrong at all. After the ship anchors, the crew will lower "tender platforms" into the water, extend platforms from a couple large hatches in the hull on the ship's service deck, and set up ladders going from the platform at each hatch down to its tender platforms. The tenders then pull up to a tender platform in the same manner as to a dock, so you can just step aboard.

But I should explain, for the benefit of all landlubbers reading this thread, that there's no such thing as a stairway aboard a ship. Rather, anything that has a series of steps leading one level to another is a "ladder" in maritime language. The ladders linking the tender platform to the platform at the hatch typically have about six or eight steps that are like a normal fligtht of stairs, with handrails on both sides.

how hard is it to get on/off the tender boat with kids, one a toddler who'll be in a baby sling?? (the other 2 are ages 8 & 5)

No problem at all, and there will be plenty of crew to assist.

how severly is this going to limit our time on Cozumel -- I read elsewhere that some were cut to 4 hrs on the island because of tender schedules; is this pretty accurate??

The only complication might be that you have to wait your turn for a tender with available space to take you ashore. The best strategy, if you want to explore on your own, is to book a short shore excursion in the morning because shore excursions always get priority on the tenders. You may also have to wait in a queue for a tender back to the ship, but she ship's tenders will shuttle back and forth until everybody who is in line at the time of the last tender is back aboard the ship.

thanks for the info & the explanation -- you had me worried there for a minute, as I envisioned climbing down a rope ladder with a baby strapped to my chest!!! -- glad to know that a "ladder" on a ship can also mean "stairs". Whew!

TexasHeather, I believe that you will be docking in Cozumel, not tendering. We just sailed the Ecstasy last month, we left on a Monday and docked in Cozumel on Thursday. The RCI ship tendered. Now, I cannot say for certain that the schedule is still exactly the same, they may rotate with the RCI ship on occasion, but for some time now the Ecstasy has had the dock on Thursdays.

TexasHeather, I believe that you will be docking in Cozumel, not tendering. We just sailed the Ecstasy last month, we left on a Monday and docked in Cozumel on Thursday. The RCI ship tendered. Now, I cannot say for certain that the schedule is still exactly the same, they may rotate with the RCI ship on occasion, but for some time now the Ecstasy has had the dock on Thursdays.

oh, that would be nice! Thanks! I would love it if it works out that way

Well, I hate to let you down but I was just reading a review on another board from someone who was on the Ecstasy Sept 4-9 and they tendered in Coz, so maybe they have switched with the RCI ship (I can't remember for sure which ship, I think Navigator) and are tendering on Thursdays now. Either way you will be fine, they used really big ferry boats for the tendering and it shouldn't be any problem. We have tendered in Cabo and it was no big deal, the crew will help you in and out of the boat and it is all very safe. If you get up and at em pretty early (and with a one-year old you are probably already up early) you should be able to get on one of the earliest tenders and have plenty of time. Taxis are no problem, but they say they are only legally allowed four passengers, not sure if they would consider a baby that sat on your lap an additional passenger or not. When we were there they put the five of us in a taxi van, it was a little more expensive, $20.00 to Paradise Beach.